City Masons unveil a hidden gem

Sunday

Dec 28, 2008 at 2:00 AM

PORTSMOUTH — When the Masons of St. John's Lodge No. 1 opened the doors of the 1892 Hackett House on Saturday, people came out in droves to see the grand house that now serves as the Lodge's Masonic Temple.

Karen Dandurant

PORTSMOUTH — When the Masons of St. John's Lodge No. 1 opened the doors of the 1892 Hackett House on Saturday, people came out in droves to see the grand house that now serves as the Lodge's Masonic Temple.

For those who missed it, there is another tour today, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the Temple, located at 351 Middle St., is available for public viewing every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Lodge bought Hackett House in 1920 from descendents of Wallace Hackett, the local attorney who built it.

St. John's Lodge was constituted in 1736 and is the oldest continuous Masonic lodge in America. People came to see the beautiful building, most for the first time. They were awed by the grandeur of the home and by the hundreds of years of Masonic and Portsmouth area history that the Masons have collected.

There is a copy of a letter from George Washington commissioning Hopley Yeaton, a Seacoast local, as the first member of the Colonial Army. Washington was a Mason, as were the Marquis De Lafayette, Ben Franklin, Paul Revere and even comedians Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

Among Portsmouth's early settlers who were Masons are Frank Jones, Joseph William Pepperell Frost, Brig. Gen. Henry Whipple and Maj. John Sullivan.

The tours, conducted by Masons, most wearing formal tuxedoes, began outside, to show off the newly completed brick walkway. The bricks are set in sand right now and are for sale. For $100, anyone can purchase a brick and have the message of his or her choice (within reason) engraved on it, thus becoming a part of the rich Mason history.

In the foyer stands a stunning grandfather clock. Mason Tom Hand had a great story about the clock.

"It was originally in one of the historic houses that was in the process of being torn down," Hand said. "A couple of our guys picked it up and brought it here. It was moved into the next room when we were redoing the floor and it stopped working. When they moved it back, it started to work again and has worked ever since."

Hand is a master furniture builder, specializing in the reproduction of period furniture. The large, solid dining room table and eight chairs are Hand's work, a reproduction of the original table that was sold.

To call it a table and chairs is an understatement. The craftsmanship is reason enough to visit the house but there are also the 14 fireplaces, each different from the rest. In the drawing room is one with facings of Sienna marble, while the fireplace in the morning room has a pine mantel and facings of pale green tiles.

"You built this," Morrill said. "This is incredible. This room is absolutely stunning. I love it. I'm so happy to be in this room."

What Morrill, who is the manager of Market Square Jewelers, said she really came to see is the Mason's collection of ceremonial jewels. She spent considerable time at the display case of past Master's jewels, proving she knew a great deal about their history.

Kittery Point, Maine residents Carol and Nick Lunig said they were stunned by the intricate wood work in the home. "This is a real gem," said Nick Lunig. His wife said it was a joy to see the Masons' meeting room, a truly grand part of the building.

Past Master Peter Newbury told the Lunigs about the Masons' affiliation with the Shriners and the charitable work they do.

Across the country, the Masons and Shriners give away $1 million a day to various charities," Newbury said.

Portraits of the Masons' past masters hang in every room. Of course, there is a story to go with them.

"The last portrait painted had been in 1908," said Mason Mark Furber. "In 2007, Master Dan Stolwood decided he wanted a portrait painted. Our current Master, Alan Ammann's son, Alan Jr., painted him. It's the first new portrait in almost 100 years."

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